Army Veteran Marlon Bounds has a bit more strut in his step after being fitted for his new prosthetic. Back in 2016 Bounds lost his leg after experiencing a bad infection. He had injured his leg while he was in the army for 14 years.
Bounds has had prosthetics before but the one he just received is unique and exclusive to a small lucky few. That is because his new leg uses artificial intelligence. His leg is connected to his brain which now when he walks can know exactly what amount of power he needs to get where he is going.
“I can power through tall grass and I can power up steps, it helps me sit down and it helps me raise up,” he explained.
The company responsible for his new mobility is the Icelandic company Ossur.
“There’s actual power that he’s feeling that’s driving the mechanisms in the knee, and along with the AI, it’s picking up signals from him to help him regain his gait symmetry,” Ossur Regional Sales Manager George Lara said.
This makes Bounds one of the first to have this kind of prosthetic. He is at the fore front of testing this kind of technology. If all goes well Bounds could be helping develop technology that could benefit more veterans like himself in the future.